Empire in Waves: A Political History of Surfing

Scott Laderman

Abstract

Surfing today invokes many things: thundering waves, warm beaches, bikinis, lifeguards, and carefree pleasure. But is the story of surfing really as simple as popular culture suggests? From American empire-building in the Pacific to the surf industry’s reliance on sweatshop labor, Empire in Waves argues that the modern history of surfing is intimately tied to the global developments since the nineteenth century. Surfing was used as an imperial instrument in post-annexation Hawaii. It spawned a form of tourism that conquered the littoral third world. Surfing was even embraced as a diplomatic we ... More

Surfing today invokes many things: thundering waves, warm beaches, bikinis, lifeguards, and carefree pleasure. But is the story of surfing really as simple as popular culture suggests? From American empire-building in the Pacific to the surf industry’s reliance on sweatshop labor, Empire in Waves argues that the modern history of surfing is intimately tied to the global developments since the nineteenth century. Surfing was used as an imperial instrument in post-annexation Hawaii. It spawned a form of tourism that conquered the littoral third world. Surfing was even embraced as a diplomatic weapon in America’s Cold War arsenal. From Indonesia to South Africa and points between, the modern history of this cherished pastime, in other words, is hardly an uncomplicated story of beachside bliss. Sometimes messy, occasionally contentious, but never dull, surfing offers a new way of viewing our globalizing world.